


doors of opportunity.

by T0TALLYSPIES



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Ash Lynx Needs A Hug, Banana Fish Anime Spoilers, Banana Fish Ending Fix-It, Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-17 06:54:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28720881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/T0TALLYSPIES/pseuds/T0TALLYSPIES
Summary: When Ash Lynx falls asleep inside the library with Eiji's letter, he somehow wakes up and finds himself in a peculiar place. Only to find three doors right before him that would determine his fate. All three doors have different outcomes and Ash only has to choose one.But which one would he choose?
Relationships: Ash Lynx & Okumura Eiji, Ash Lynx/Okumura Eiji
Comments: 5
Kudos: 82





	doors of opportunity.

Bright. It was bright. Far too bright.

Ash shielded his eyes with his hand, squinting until the blinding lights began to fade away. _Where am I?_ He thought. 

The blonde couldn't remember how he got here or why he was here in the first place. But now he saw that he was in a large, spacious room but everything was white, it seemed. But Ash didn't exactly feel as if he was imprisoned or anything. He didn't feel as if he was threatened inside this odd room but he was confused.

He started walking. 

"Hello?" He called out but no one answered. Then, he spotted a single chair in the middle of the room and in front of it were three wooden doors. 

Ash would make his way over to the doors and tried to get them to open but unfortunately, it wouldn't budge. 

"Is anyone out there?! Where am I?!" He called out but again, there was no response. 

_Damn it!_

Frustrated, the blonde made his way over to the chair and slumped down. Who was keeping him here? Last time he checked, there was no one after him anymore now that Golzine was dead along with Foxx. Unless Yut-Lung sent someone after him, that is. God knows how petty that bitch was. 

_"Aslan."_ A voice suddenly spoke and Ash perked up, looking around but saw no one in the room with him. What the fuck?

_"Still on edge, I see."_ The voice would say again and if Ash wasn't mistaken, it sounded amused. 

"Can't exactly blame me. I don't know where the hell I am." He grumbled and his statement earned a chuckle from whoever it is that's currently speaking to him. 

_"Not exactly a wise choice of words if you're talking to your Creator."_

Ash furrowed his brows in confusion as he looked up at particularly nothing. 

"Huh?" 

_"I suppose you've forgotten what you've asked from Me. Though that would be impossible considering you would never forget about things that would regard your dearest Eiji."_

Ash stayed silent. He didn't know how to react nor did he know what to make of this person's words. As far as Ash could remember, he hadn't asked anybody a favor apart from the recent allies that he had made, that is. But the war is over as far as he was concerned. And though Ash chose to save Sing instead of the documents regarding Banana Fish, he was well aware that somehow, he wouldn't have to run away anymore. 

_"You told Me that I shouldn't take Eiji away from you, that I should take you instead. Hence, why you're here. Do you remember now— do you remember how you got here?"_

His statement caused Ash's eyes to widen. Then, memories of the events that happened not too long ago flashed before his eyes. The talk with Blanca. Eiji's letter. Lao stabbing him. The library. Him, falling asleep on Eiji's seat. It all came back to him and the blonde couldn't help but shed tears at the memories that had rushed back into his mind. 

Eiji. Eiji. Eiji. 

_Eiji._

He was supposed to run after Eiji. He had a plane ticket. He was supposed to rush to the airport with no plan at hand. Rush to the airport to see Eiji off— hell, maybe even join him while they go back to Japan. They've talked about this before and Eiji was so determined for Ash to come to his country, a place where he didn't need a gun to live. 

And yet… and yet… when he tried to do whatever it is that he wanted, fate had not been so kind to Ash Lynx. Not like it was ever kind to him in the first place. The only time it ever was, was when he met Eiji. When he saw him fly into the sky. 

His flyboy. His little birdy. 

"Am I… dead?" Ash whispered and there was a moment of silence. 

_"Not yet, My child."_ The person— or should Ash say, _God_ answered, _"Not quite."_

_"This isn't the first time I've had this talk with somebody before. But to be honest with you, this is one of the moments I find endearing."_

Ash stayed silent, too tired and confused to even reply something witty at the moment. 

_"There are three doors in front of you, My child. All of which have different destinations that would determine your fate. But I must warn you. Once you go inside a door of your choosing, you cannot take your decision back so I advise you to choose wisely."_

Ash let out a scoff, "Is this where You get to judge whether I belong to heaven or hell or the purgatory?" 

A chuckle resonated from Him, _"Not quite."_

_"The door to your left is peace. Never ending peace. In this door, you would never feel fear or anger or sadness. You will have an eternal life here. You will be home. You will see the loved ones that you lost. That place is your safe haven. What waits for you on the other side, is the people you hold most dear in your waking life."_

"So… heaven, then?" 

_"If you put it like that, then yes. That door is the door to paradise— your own paradise."_

That means, if by chance… Griffin would be there. Skipper. 

_Shorter._

They would all be there if that were the case. Ash never realized how much he missed them until the door was explained to him. How long has it been since he saw Griffin? Since he heard Skipper's laugh? Since he did dumb shit with Shorter? 

Oh, he misses them so much. And Ash has grown tired. He was exhausted for fuck's sake. All the running, all the hiding, all the pain and sadness that he felt. 

Maybe it was time to—

_"It's not good to decide right off the bat, son. That is just one door I have explained to you. There's two more."_

The voice caused Ash to drag out of his thoughts and he hadn't realized that he had already stood up to walk over to it until he was snapped back to reality. Sitting back down, his gaze lingered on the specific door. 

_"The door in the middle, is the door to a new life. In that door, a mother is currently in labor. She's about to give birth and bring a new life into the world."_

"Reincarnation, is that what you mean?" 

_"To put it simply, yes."_ He answered, _"That door will give you a new chance to live another life. It is an opportunity to live peacefully. That mother and her husband had wished for a child of their own and I can say that they will love their child with all their heart. Enter that door, and you will get the opportunity to live a life without fear or running away. You will be loved by your parents who will support you in everything you do. And you will have the chance to do whatever it is that you wish to do in that life."_

Normalcy. 

Adults had disappointed Ash again and again. The only ones who didn't were Max, Jessica, Ibe-san, and maybe Griffin. The others, Ash wished they were rotting in hell right now. But that door… could he really live a life like that? A life where he was born to be loved?

How would it feel to have such loving parents? To go to school and make friends and enter relationships? To stress over homework and sneak out and get detention? To spend special holidays with your family? 

It sounded… nice. Ash hated how nice it sounded and he hated how he wants to try it out for himself. How he wants to at least live a life where he's loved and cared for by the very people who brought him into this world. But… what if the peaceful life that waited for him by that door wasn't peaceful at all?

What if he were to live a life like he lived over and over again? What if the adults would fail him again? 

The thought left a bitter taste in his tongue and despite how badly he wanted to see what kind of life was waiting for him on the other side of that door, Ash looked away from it. 

"What about the last door?" 

_"Ah… I thought this one might be the one that would make you confused, somehow."_ He started, _"The last door… is a second chance at life. At your waking life."_

Ash furrowed his brows but somehow perked up at the words. 

"What does that mean?" 

_"I told you, child. You are not dead yet until you cross the first door I told you about. At this very moment, someone had found you bleeding in that library and you are currently in an ambulance on the way to the hospital. You've lost a lot of blood, apparently."_

Ash somehow found himself flinching at this information. 

_"This door is a second chance for you to turn your life around Aslan. This door will lead you to however you want to lead your life from now on. I have seen the hardships you've gotten yourself into but despite it all you have managed to love deeply. And my, have you loved so deeply."_

Ash could feel his cheeks having a cherry colored tint to it as he heard the words of literal God calling him out on his unspoken feelings. 

_"Eiji Okumura is someone who means a lot to you and even I, could perfectly see that. Bonds like yours are pure— inseparable, that there may be a huge chance you may find each other again in your next life. But I can see that you hold more than just a platonic love for your friend. No, if we are talking about platonic, you and Shorter Wong would be a prime example. However, Eiji is much more to you."_

Ash could feel his tears prickling in the corner of his eyes and all he could think about was Eiji. The person who had the cutest fucking accent. Who pronounced his name as _Ashu_ and Ash himself could never grow tired of how Eiji pronounces his name. Eiji, his dear Eiji. The very person Ash would kill for. The person who Ash would gladly die for. 

Eiji. Eiji. _His_ Eiji. 

His dark brown— almost jet black hair that looked so soft to the touch. His eyes that held so much emotion in them. His smile. His laugh. His… everything. 

Ash never thought he could love someone as much as he loved Eiji. For the time that they had been together, Ash continuously denied his feelings because at that time, falling in love was never his priority. Not when they were on the run. But being with Eiji made it so easy. 

He just couldn't help it. And the day Eiji was shot, Ash knew. He knew that he had fallen. That the Japanese boy who was older than him, who had never held a gun in his life, had Ash Lynx' heart and Eiji took very good care of it. 

The thought of Eiji made Ash silently weep again. Because this is where he started to doubt everything. With him alive, Eiji was constantly in danger. He came to America as an assistant, to do tourist stuff and go back home but instead, he fell into the rabbit hole that was Ash's life and almost died because of it. 

It isn't guaranteed whether Ash had no more enemies left or not. And he can't possibly risk Eiji's safety ever again. A lot of people probably knew by now that Eiji was the way to break Ash Lynx. Eiji was the key to success if ever someone wanted to torment New York's fearless gang leader. 

And it was quite ironic how Eiji was completely clueless by the power he has over New York due to the fact he has Ash Lynx wrapped around his delicate fingers. 

But even though Ash was set on just crossing to the afterlife and being at peace, his heart was dictating something else instead. Because he knew that deep down, this isn't what he wanted. 

A gang leader he may be but he was still just a kid. An eighteen year old who was still in the middle of his growth spurt. Who still felt feelings and selfishly keeps wanting things. And one of the things he so desperately wants is to be with Eiji even if it might be dangerous to Eiji's safety. 

He kept having wishful thinking. Him in Japan with Eiji, arriving in Izumo. Maybe get the chance to go to festivals and he could see Eiji and him wearing those fancy yukatas. Maybe Ash would be taught Japanese. Maybe… just maybe…

"Do I need to decide right away?" Ash asked, his voice soft and tired. 

_"Take all the time you need."_ He answered in a tender tone. 

* * *

_"Are you certain this is what you want?"_

Ash paused before letting out a sigh and nodded. 

"Yeah, big man, I'm sure. I've thought about it for a while, I think I've had enough time." 

A moment of silence. 

_"I see. Well, if that is your decision then I will not stop you. However, I need to remind you that once you cross over to the door of your choosing, whatever it is that happened here, you will forget. That's how it works but I suppose you don't mind if that happened."_

Ash chuckled in response before taking a breath and standing up from the chair. 

"Well, I best be on my way and uh… thank You for this. I… I appreciate it." He'd scratch the back of his neck sheepishly. 

_"You are a good boy, Aslan. I know you more than anyone else does. It was nice having you here."_

"Yeah, it was nice." Ash smiled and turned towards the door of his choosing.

He slowly made his way over and wrapped his hand around the door knob and slowly but surely, Ash opened the door and he was once again, engulfed in a bright, blinding light. 

* * *

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

_Where am I?_

Fluttering his eyes open, he looked around and let his vision adjust back to normal. White ceiling. Smell of disinfectants. An… IV drip? The fuck? 

"Well… look who's awake." Ash tried to sit up but groaned when he felt a stinging pain in his abdomen. 

Ash turned to look at whoever it was that spoke to him only to find Max who gazed at him disappointingly. 

"Eiji is not gonna like this, Ash." 

It took quite a while for his words to sink into Ash but then, he began to chuckle at the thought. 

Seems like he got another chance. 

Fate seemed to be kinder this time, it seemed. 


End file.
